12 nabbed for cat trafficking in Vietnam

International

TWELVE men were arrested after they admitted stealing and selling 2,700 cats in Vietnam.

The Ho Chi Minh City police said cat traps, fur removal machines and measuring scales were seized during the operation.

The suspects were accused of stealing pets to be slaughtered for food, a BBC report said.

According to the police, the suspects roamed through residential areas in small groups on motorbikes at night to steal the cats.

The suspects allegedly used pieces of fish as bait, placing traps outside houses where they knew cats were kept.

Thirteen of the rescued felines have since been returned to their owners.

According to the animal protection organisation Humane World for Animals, an estimated five million dogs and one million cats are captured, stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat in Vietnam every year.

The consumption of dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam, where many restaurants openly advertise it on their menu but vendors are required to have permits that show the origin of the animals.(MyTVCebu)